Al-Qawl al-Mufid ala Kitab al-Tawhid — Volume 1 (القول المفيد على كتاب التوحيد) — Page 6

Arabic text · النص

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

أَلْحَصْرُ لِتَقْدِيمِ الْخَبَرِ، إِذْ أَنَّ تَقْدِيمَ مَا حَقُّهُ التَّأْخِيرُ يُفِيدُ الْحَصْرَ؟

Is restriction achieved by fronting the predicate, given that fronting what should be delayed implies restriction?

وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: هَلْ مِنْ خَالِقٍ غَيْرُ اللَّهِ يَرْزُقُكُمْ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ.

The Exalted says: "Is there any creator other than Allah who provides for you from the heaven and the earth?"

فَهَذِهِ الْآيَةُ تُفِيدُ اخْتِصَاصَ الْخَلْقِ بِاللَّهِ.

This verse indicates that creation is exclusive to Allah.

أَمَّا مَا وَرَدَ مِنْ إِثْبَاتِ خَالِقٍ غَيْرِ اللَّهِ كَقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: فَتَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ.

As for the mention of a creator other than Allah, such as His words: "So blessed is Allah, the best of creators."

وَكَقَوْلِهِ، يُقَالُ لَهُمْ - أَيْ لِلْمُصَوِّرِينَ -: أَحْيُوا مَا خَلَقْتُمْ.

Or His words addressed to the image-makers: "Bring to life what you have created."

فَهَذَا لَيْسَ خَلْقًا حَقِيقَةً، وَلَيْسَ إِيجَادًا بَعْدَ عَدَمٍ، بَلْ هُوَ تَحْوِيلٌ.

This is not true creation, nor is it bringing something into existence from nothing; it is merely transformation.

فَمَنْ شَهِدَ أَنَّ الْمُعْطِيَ، أَوِ الْمَانِعَ، أَوِ الضَّارَّ، أَوِ النَّافِعَ، أَوِ الْمُعِزَّ، أَوِ الْمُذِلَّ غَيْرُهُ فَقَدْ أَشْرَكَ بِرُبُوبِيَّتِهِ.

Whoever believes that anyone other than Him is the Giver, the Withholder, the Harmer, the Benefactor, the Honorer, or the Humiliator has committed shirk in His Lordship.

وَلَكِنْ إِذَا أَرَادَ التَّخَلُّصَ مِنْ هَذَا الشِّرْكِ فَلْيَنْظُرْ إِلَى الْمُعْطِي الْأَوَّلِ فَيَشْكُرَهُ عَلَى مَا أَوْلَاهُ مِنَ النِّعَمِ،

If one wishes to be freed from this shirk, let him look to the First Giver and thank Him for the blessings He has bestowed.

وَيَنْظُرَ إِلَى مَنْ أَسْدَى إِلَيْهِ الْمَعْرُوفَ فَيُكَافِئَهُ عَلَيْهِ لِقَوْلِهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ: مَنْ أَسْدَى إِلَيْكُمْ مَعْرُوفًا فَكَافِئُوهُ.

Let him also look to the one who did him a favor and reward him, as the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Whoever does you a favor, reward him."

فَاللَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ هُوَ الْمُعْطِي عَلَى الْحَقِيقَةِ فَإِنَّهُ هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْأَرْزَاقَ وَقَدَّرَهَا وَسَاقَهَا إِلَى مَنْ يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ.

Allah, the Exalted, is the true Giver, for He created all provisions, ordained them, and directed them to whom He wills among His servants.

وَمِمَّا يُقَوِّي هَذَا الْمَعْنَى قَوْلُهُ لِابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا: وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ الْأُمَّةَ لَوْ اجْتَمَعُوا عَلَى أَنْ يَنْفَعُوكَ لَمْ يَنْفَعُوكَ إِلَّا بِشَيْءٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ اللَّهُ لَكَ.

Strengthening this meaning is the Prophet's instruction to Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both: "Know that if the nation gathered to benefit you, they could not benefit you except with something Allah has already written for you."

فَهَذَا يَدُلُّ عَلَى أَنَّهُ لَا يَنْفَعُ فِي الْحَقِيقَةِ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، وَلَا يَضُرُّ غَيْرُهُ، وَكَذَا جَمِيعُ مَا ذَكَرْنَا فِي مُقْتَضَى الرُّبُوبِيَّةِ.

This proves that in reality, only Allah benefits or harms, which applies to everything we have mentioned regarding the requirements of Lordship.

فَمَنْ سَلَكَ هَذَا الْمَسْلَكَ اسْتَرَاحَ مِنْ عُبُودِيَّةِ الْخَلْقِ وَنَظَرِهِ إِلَيْهِمْ.

Whoever follows this path finds rest from servitude to the creation and from looking toward them.

وَتَجَرَّدَ التَّوْحِيدُ فِي قَلْبِهِ فَقَوِيَ إِيمَانُهُ، وَانْشَرَحَ صَدْرُهُ وَتَنَوَّرَ قَلْبُهُ.

Monotheism is purified in his heart, strengthening his faith, expanding his chest, and illuminating his spirit.

وَلِهَذَا قَالَ الْفُضَيْلُ بْنُ عِيَاضٍ: مَنْ عَرَفَ النَّاسَ اسْتَرَاحَ، يُرِيدُ - وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ - أَنَّهُمْ لَا يَنْفَعُونَ وَلَا يَضُرُّونَ.

For this reason, Al-Fudayl ibn Iyad said: "Whoever knows people finds rest," meaning—and Allah knows best—that they can neither benefit nor harm.

Vocabulary · المفردات (32 verbs · 51 nouns)

• فَادَ — to benefit
• قَالَ — to say
• رَزَقَ — to provide
• وَرَدَ — to appear or occur
• تَبَارَكَ — to be blessed
• حَسُنَ — to be good
• خَلَقَ — to create
• أَحْيَا — to revive
• شَهِدَ — to witness
• أَشْرَكَ — to associate
• أَرَادَ — to want
• نَظَرَ — to look
• شَكَرَ — to thank
• أَوْلَى — to bestow
• أَسْدَى — to render
• كَافَأَ — to reward
• قَدَّرَ — to determine
• سَاقَ — to drive
• شَاءَ — to will
• قَوَّى — to strengthen
• عَلِمَ — to know
• اجْتَمَعَ — to gather
• نَفَعَ — to benefit
• كَتَبَ — to write
• ضَرَّ — to harm
• ذَكَرَ — to mention
• سَلَكَ — to follow
• اِسْتَرَاحَ — to rest
• تَجَرَّدَ — to be purified
• انْشَرَحَ — to be expanded
• تَنَوَّرَ — to be illuminated
• عَرَفَ — to know
• حَصْر — restriction
• تَقْدِيم — fronting
• خَبَر — predicate
• تَأْخِير — delay
• خَالِق — creator
• سَمَاء — sky
• أَرْض — earth
• آيَة — verse
• اخْتِصَاص — exclusivity
• خَلْق — creation
• إِثْبَات — affirmation
• مُصَوِّر — image-maker
• حَقِيقَة — reality
• إِيجَاد — bringing into existence
• عَدَم — non-existence
• تَحْوِيل — transformation
• شَيْخ — sheikh
• إِسْلَام — Islam
• مَجْمُوع — collection
• فَتْوَى — legal opinion
• نَوْع — type
• شِرْك — polytheism
• رُبُوبِيَّة — lordship
• رَب — lord
• مَالِك — owner
• مُدَبِّر — manager
• مُعْطِي — giver
• مَانِع — withholder
• نَافِع — benefactor
• ضَار — harmer
• خَافِض — abaser
• رَافِع — exalter
• مُعِز — honorer
• مُذِل — humiliator
• تَخَلُّص — deliverance
• نِعْمَة — blessing
• مَعْرُوف — good deed
• رِزْق — provision
• عَبْد — servant
• مَعْنَى — meaning
• أُمَّة — nation
• شَيْء — thing
• مُقْتَضَى — a requirement
• مَسْلَك — path
• عُبُودِيَّة — servitude
• نَظَر — view
• تَوْحِيد — monotheism
• قَلْب — heart
• إِيمَان — faith
• صَدْر — chest
• نَاس — people